The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is sponsoring another Citizen’s Academy which will be held in Bend for this new session. This 10-week course is designed to give attendees a very in-depth look at the different divisions of the Sheriff’s Office, and educate the public about what your Sheriff’s Office does and is responsible for.
The Citizen’s Academy, free to participants, will be held Mar. 21-May 23, each Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m. In addition to ... [full story]

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death and injury for children, and a child’s risk of injury greatly increases if they are not appropriately restrained. To help reduce these risks, safety advocates around the state will be educating parents and caregivers about the proper use of vehicle safety restraints during National Child Passenger Safety Week, Feb. 11 to 17.
“The goal is simple -– to save lives and reduce injuries by teaching people how ... [full story]

CRESCENT, OREGON —Deschutes National Forest managers are seeking public comment on a plan to reduce insect, disease and wildland fire threats within a 160,000-acre project area northwest of Crescent that is characterized by mature stands of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir trees.
The Five Buttes Project objectives would be met through commercial timber harvests, controlled burns and small tree thinning around the largest trees in the area.
The area lies on the Crescent Ranger District and includes ... [full story]

In an effort to provide better customer service to citizens, Deschutes County’s Community Development now accepts Visa and MasterCard payments for services. Credit card transactions for services are now available in Bend, La Pine and Redmond.
Through the new process, customers to the Community Development Department (CDD) can use their Visa or MasterCard to pay for any land use application, building or septic permit, restaurant license and food handler cards.
The credit card transaction service ... [full story]

Winning Over Anger and Violence has elected Brian Hemphill to the Board of Directors. He is a local general practice attorney concentrating in the areas of small business, estate planning and probate, family law, personal bankruptcy, and real estate.
Brian HemphillWinning Over Anger and Violence has provided counseling services for 19 years in Central Oregon, and works to stop the cycle of violence in the community by building healthy lives and healthy families. With offices in ... [full story]

Cold temperatures can be hard on senior and arthritic dogs, and the Humane Society of Central Oregon is offering free massage classes so pet owner’s can help ease their animal’s winter aches and pains. Due to the overwhelming success and popular demand of classes offered previously, space is limited. The classes are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on the last Saturday of the month in January, February and March.
Martina Muller, M.Ed of ... [full story]

The Jefferson County School District is hosting a public meeting designed to provide information about Willow Creek Community High School, a new school slated to open in the 2007-2008 school year.
The meeting will be held Wednesday, January 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the Commons of Jefferson County Middle School.
Willow Creek Community (WCC) High School is specifically designed to be a small school with a focus on:
• building strong positive relationships so we ... [full story]

Deschutes County is requesting proposals for the monthly production of a video news magazine. Firms and individuals submitting proposals will be screened and may be selected from the written proposals. The selection committee may conduct interviews with the most qualified candidates, who will need to be prepared to make oral and visual presentations to the selection committee. Selection committee members shall not be contacted nor solicited by any firm or individual submitting proposals. Any such ... [full story]

Central Oregon Partnerships for Youth (COPY), a program of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, is offering a class to prepare volunteers to become mentors for children with an incarcerated parent. It is estimated that, on any given day, 350 kids in Deschutes County are dealing with the disruptive effects of parental incarceration.
COPY aims to break this cycle by connecting these children with a safe and appropriate mentor. After initial training and background checks, volunteers ... [full story]

Bend Area Transit (BAT) is permanently relocating two bus stops on Route #3 from Portland Avenue to locations on Newport Avenue. The relocations are being implemented because with the opening of Newport Bridge, the Portland Avenue detour is no longer necessary.Beginning Monday, December 18, two bus stops on Portland Avenue (Portland and 9th Street, and Portland and Awbrey) will be moved to the new permanent locations at Newport Avenue and 6th Street, and Newport Avenue and ... [full story]

Informational meeting to kick off 2007 Reach the Summit fund-raiser and trainingThe American Lung Association of Oregon will be hosting an informational meeting in Bend for its annual Reach the Summit fund-raiser. This fund-raiser provides an opportunity to train for and participate in a guided group climb to the top of Mount Hood or Mount Shasta. Representatives from the American Lung Association of Oregon, Timberline Mountain Guides, Inc., and past participants will talk about their ... [full story]

Purrfect Gift Raises Money for Humane Society
Capturing the essence of your four-legged friend in a photograph is difficult. The Humane Society of Central Oregon is making it easy to get a professional photograph of your pet which also raises money for animals in need.
On Saturday, December 2, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Humane Society of Central Oregon, Bend Petography will capture the spirit of your furry friend in a holiday ... [full story]

The holidays are coming, and with the season comes the 13th year of Santa Express, a partnership between the Bend Fire Department, the Bend Firefighters Association, and The Salvation Army to provide food, clothing, and toys to families in need in Central Oregon.
A new part of Santa Express this year is a one-day Santa Express Coat & Blanket Drive, conducted in partnership with Sportsman’s Warehouse. On Friday, December 8, stop by the parking lot ... [full story]